Senators question Susan Rice about an odd email – and it was written on Trump’s inaugural

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are questioning an odd email written by former Obama administration national security advisor Susan Rice – and it was composed on the day of President Trump’s inauguration.

Here’s what it said:

The email is an account of a meeting between herself and former President Obama, his Vice President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey, and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. They were discussing the progress in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“On January 5, following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office. Vice President Biden and I were also present,” the Rice email read.

“President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities ‘by the book’. The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective,” it continued.

“He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book,” she added. “From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia…”

“The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would,” the note concluded.

Odd details

Rice wrote the email about the meeting more than two weeks after the meeting occurred, on January 5, 2017. The email was written on the day of Trump’s inauguration, and was sent to Rice herself.

Grassley and Graham sent an email to Rice asking that she answer 12 questions about the email, one of which was the following: “Did anyone instruct, request, suggest, or imply that you should send yourself the aforementioned Inauguration Day email memorializing President Obama’ s meeting with Mr. Corney about the Trump/Russia investigation? If so, who and why?”

Another asks, “When and how did you first become aware that the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic National Committee funded Mr. Steele’s efforts?” referring to the author of the controversial “Trump dossier.”

The last question asks, “Did President Obama have any other meetings with Mr. Corney, Ms. Yates, or other government officials about the FBI’ s investigation of allegations of collusion between Trump associates and Russia? If so, when did these occur, who participated, and what was discussed?”

A pattern of abuse?

Rice was the Obama administration official who was sent to Sunday talk shows in order to blame the Benghazi attack on a YouTube movie about the origins of Islam. Many accuse her of lying about the cause in order to shield the administration from criticism over security at the consulate.

Rice was later accused of illegally “unmasking” Trump officials, a charge which she vehemently denies.